The Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) (DASH) standard enables high quality streaming of media content over the Internet from conventional web servers. DASH divides content into a sequence of small segments, with each segment containing some interval of playback. Content over the same time period is provided in a plurality of bit rates, and a DASH client automatically selects the segment with the highest possible bit rate that can be played without causing stalls or re-buffering of the playback. As a result, the DASH client seamlessly adapts to variations in network conditions and provides high quality playback without stalls or re-buffering.
DASH has been adopted and published as International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 23009-1:2012 entitled “Information Technology—Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) part 1: Media Presentation Description and Segment Formats,” which is incorporated herein by reference.